Hazardous blue RRPMs or cat eyes

Blue (or more recently green) cat eyes are installed on roadways to quickly indicate the location of cover-lids to access water mains in an emergency (water mains leak, fire). The technical name is RetroReflective Pavement Marker or RRPM.

There are guidelines for the installation of blue RRPMs. They are supposed to be installed on the median or near the road centre line. They are NOT to be installed within intersections, within slip lanes or bicycle lanes, on unsealed roads, or on winding sections of roads.

Please be cautious when riding near RRPMs, because of the potential for a light-weight bicycle with two skinny tyres to skid, causing the cyclist to crash. I know of a cyclist who crashed on an RRPM and broke his arm.

In Nov-2018 I saw two RRPMs recently installed incorrectly in North Adelaide, and I am told there are more in the area.

If you see incorrectly installed blue RRPMs, please let me know the location and extra detail. I will compile a list to report to the authorities.

Are they just a SA thing? I'ld like to meet the person who thought of using them... and kick them in their ****s which is pretty much what its like when you hit them on a road bike with 120psi in the tyres.

Some of them may be located with poor positioning on the road, but they are really good when one is in a fire truck and looking for a standpipe point. (I am in the CFS.)

I believe the idea came from within SA Water, some time after the decision was mad to no longer maintain or instal the red-topped white "fire plug" posts (which also indicated the direction from the post, and had information about pipe size and flow rate). The problem with the marker posts is that they are often obscured by vegetation, or damaged by impact, without the fault being reported.

The blue RRPMs might be OK, if installed near the road centre as per guidelines:— Less hazardous for cyclists and motor-bikers— Run-over less often by vehicles, so less wear on RRPM or chance of dislodgement— Perhaps easier for emergency worker to spot